Machine for sealing cartons.



No. 684,788. Patented Oct. 22,1901;

. L. S. BURBANK.

MACHINE FDR SEALING CARTONS.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1899.) 7 (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet L m: 'uonms mas 00.. mmmua. mam/awn. n c.

No. 684,788." Patented Oct. 22 ,]|9o|.

L s BURBANK MACHINE FUR SEALING CARTONS.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1999.1

8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

N0. 684,788. Patented Oct. 22, I90].

L. S. BUBBANK.

MACHINE FOB SEALING CARTONS.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1899.)

8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

No. 684,788. Patented Oct. 22, [90L s. BURBANK MACHINE FOR SEALING CARTONS.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1899.; (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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Patented Oct. 22, I901.

' .Lrs. BURBANK. MACHINE FDR'SEALING (:ABTUNS.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1899.)

a sheets-sheet 5.

(No Model.)

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Patented Oct. 22, |9,0l.

L. S. BURBANK.

MACHINE FUR SEALING GABTUNS.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 188B.)

B Shanta-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

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No. 684,788. Patented Oct. 22, I90l.

L. S. BURBANK. MACHINE FOB SEALING CARTONS.

(Application filed Due. 21, 1899.)

-8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

(No Model.)

'ATTUFINEY- INVENTUH- ,Lows 5.,Barbkzm MEL x W No. 684,788. Patented Oct. 22, I90l.

L. s. BURBANK.

MACHINE FUR SEALING CARTONS.

' (Application filed Dec. 21, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFEICE.

LOUIS s. BURBANK, or WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR SEALING CARTONS.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,788, dated October 22, 1901.

Application filed December 21,1899. Serial No. 741,071. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,LoUIs S. BURBA'NK,a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sealing Cartons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a plan view of the rear end of the machine. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8, Fig. 3, and partly broken away. Fig. 9 is a detail view of a portion of the chain carrier D and the flanges of links thereof. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the finishedcarton open at one end. Fig. 11 illustrates diagrammatically different steps in the sealing of the carton. Fig. 12 is a detail view, partly broken away, illustrating the operation of the check-piece n. Figs. 13 and 14, are detail views illustrating the devices for rotating shaft w in one direction only. Fig. 15 is a horizontal longi tudinal section of the machine, taken below the guide-rods G parts being removed and the rear end of the machine being broken away.

This invention has relation to machines for sealing the parallel ends of cartons or paper packages; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention,the letterA designates the main framework of the machine, having a track B extending lengthwise thereof for the carrierlinks'O of the endless-chain carrier D, said links being provided with flanges 0, adapted to engage the folded cartons and hold them in proper position as they are carried along, such cartons having the top and bottom flaps thereof loose and unsealed and presenting laterally of the machine.

The cartons F, for which this machine is chiefly designed, are of rectangular or parallelepiped form, having folding ends, which forbetter convenience should consist at each end of two pairs of opposite flaps, the outer flaps a a of one pair folding over the flaps b b of the other pair and at right angles thereto, as indicated. The flaps fold toward the middle of the two ends or top and bottom of the carton, which holds the biscuits or other articles with which it may be charged.

Parallel side walls or plates G are provided at the sides of the trackway and carried by depending arms G, supported from guiderods G extending longitudinally upon both sides of the machine, these walls being de signed to engage and hold the flaps of the carton in certain positions, as hereinafter described. The fiaps b b, Which are folded inwardly toward each other, remain in suchposition throughout the operation of the machine, while the flaps a a, at first folded inwardly toward each other and held in this position by engagement with the side walls or plates aforesaid, are subsequently opened outward for the application of a line or lines of glue or paste and are afterward closed toward each other and upon the flaps b b, to which they are thus glued or pasted at the narrower sides of the top and bottom or ends of the box.

In order to open the flaps a of the carton, an opening or recess g is provided at each side of the machine in the side walls or plates G, said opening or recess extending verti-- ent elasticity, will when the openings g a1 e reached partly open, when the rear flaps a will be engaged by projecting corners g and spread and held completely open as the flaps pass into engagement with the subsequent portions of the side walls or plates. In a somewhat similar manner the forward flaps a are spread and held open. As the carton escapes from engagement with the first sections of the side walls or plates openings 71. between such first plate-sections G and subsequent sections GX allow these flaps to partly open automatically, when they are immediately engaged by spreading-slide it, having a rapid forward-and-back movement or reciprocation and serving to turn these flaps completely outward in time for them to pass in full-open position into engagement with the next sections of the side walls or plates G The flaps a a of the carton are now both fully open in position for the application of lines of glue near their upper and lower edges, such gluing being effected by the disks f, which are fed from gluepansf. By means of a subsequent set of openings or recesscs g and h in the side walls or plates G and similar to those already described as serving to spread the flaps a a open these flaps after the application of the glue are closed upon the flaps b, the forward flaps a being closed by projecting corners g of second openings g, and a second closing-slide it, having rapid forward and -back motion or reciprocation, serving in this operation to close the rear flaps at. These slides h h are carried by depending arms 77. of transverse arms 7L4, supported and sliding upon guiderods G2 aforesaid. These transverse arms 7L4 are connected together by longitudinal rods G forming the slide-frame H, which-is operated by levers I-I, intermediately connected by transverse rods H and operated by eccentric H carried by shafts H, in gear with the power or sprocket shaft. An eccentric rod and strap H connect rods H with eccentric H The upper ends of said levers H are connected to cross-pieces 7L5, located between the pairs of transverse arms 7% and having a connection with rods G to move the same,

and hence the slide-frame H.

The flaps of the ends of the cartons having been folded and glued are ready for the application of a sealing strip or ribbon along the central vertically-arranged seam where the flaps a a come together. For this purpose a reciprocating frame K is provided, moving upon the slideway L of the main frame and carrying the sealing-ribbons of reels R and the devices for operating and clipping the same. The frame K is operated to move at the same rate of speed as the endless-chain carrier D by means of the eccentrics at 7t upon shaft H having a gear conneetion H with the power-shaft, such eccentrics having a rod-and-stra-p connection with levers K, in turn connected to frame K. The frame K is therefore designed to move with each carton a distance sufficient for its mechanism, hereinafter described, to place the sealing-strips thereon, such frame having for this purpose a short regular reciprocating movement.

L represents a stationary frame located centrally of the slideway-frame L and pro jecting upwardly through a central opening in the base of the frame K. This frame L has a suitable slideway t for a short rack I, designed when the finger J is raised by the passage of the carton thereunder to lock the rack in stationary position and rotate reciprocating pinion 17, having hearings in slideframe K, and thereby through the medium of the worm and worm-wheel gearing w to turn the shafts w inwardly and operate the ribbonmoving mechanism. On the backward movement of slide K the finger J will have escaped from engagement with the carton and is returned to normal position through gravity and spring-slide s, and the rack I being no longer locked stationary will not actuate the pinion Should one of the carrying-links of the conveyer-chain be empty, the finger Jwill not be raised and the ribbon-moving mechanism will not be setin operation through such rack and pinion. This automatic operation is eifected by the employment of a pin or check piece n, Fig. 12, adapted to engage the forward end of the rack I to hold the same stationary, such pin n being engaged by section 8', having an inclined wall engaging an inclined Wall of slide .9 and operating upon forward movement of slide 3 to raise section 5 and check-piece n therethrough. Slide 5 is moved in one direc tion by operation of the finger J aforesaid and returned to normal position'by spring .3 thereof when said finger falls. When the pin n falls, its engagement with the rack ceases and the latter being of little weight reciprocates freely in its slideway wit-h the pinion and without turning the same. The pinion p is moved back to normal position with relation to its rack I, while the rack is held stationary and the slide-frame K is returned to normal position, there beinga frictional engagement of the upper surface of check-piece n with the lower surface of the rack for this purpose.

For the purpose of rotating the shafts w in one direction only friction-wheels \V are provided, (see Figs. 13 and 14,) mounted upon the shafts P of pinions p and having a driving connection at Mi with the spiral gears w. Within these wheels W are the clutch devices W, having friction-shoes 20*, arranged to engage the inner peripheral surfaces of such wheels. These shoes are pivoted to arms of bell-crank levers W ,in turn pivoted to clutchhubs 10 having a driving connection at w" with shafts P. Springs 10 engage the other arms of said bell-crank levers and are arranged to throw such shoes out of frictional engagement with such wheels during rotation of spiral gears w in one direction. When such gears are rotated in the opposite direction, the inner peripheral surfaces of wheels W take a bearing against such shoes to force a frictional engagement therebetween and turn shafts w.

Gross-arms Q, connected to an elevated portion K of frame K, have tracks q for the axis piece or shaft q of ribbon-reels R, which rotate from above inwardly, the inner edge of the rolls moving against a guide piece or abutment r, preferably of wood, which guides the descending strip of ribbon between the gluing-rollers V and V. A longitudinal V-form bend is made in the ribbon or strip as it passes between the rollers V and V, whose peripheries have respective engaging convex ribs and concave grooves o and o. The coaction of these concave and convex grooves and ribs upon the ribbon forms the longitudinal V-form bend or crease, which gives the strip proper stiffness for the downward feed. The glue is taken up from the glue-pan P by the inner rollers V. Levers M, having a f ulcrum at m upon slide 10, from which they depend, are designed to operate the ribbon pressing and clipping devices.

Y represents spring pressure-plates carried by said levers M at their lower end portions and presenting inwardly toward the cartonflaps and the sealing-strip upon the meeting edges of said flaps. Such plates Y upon actuation of levers M are pressed inwardly upon the flaps of the carton, flattening the sealing-ribbon against the approximated edge portions of the flaps a and a with a yielding pressure. At the same time the slide-knives .2, carried by slide-frames Z, having move ment in suitable guideways, are moved inwardly through link connection 3' with such lovers to cut the ribbon at the top of the carton. The reverse motion of levers M releases the pressure of the plates Y and the sealed carton is carried forwardly upon the link conveyer between the traveling pressure-walls a; of the drying chambers X, which are charged with air of proper temperature to facilitate setting and drying the glue or paste employed in sealing the carton. The inner or pressure walls of the pneumatic chambers are endless belts of leather or other suitable yielding material. Levers M are operated by eccentric M upon shaft H having an eccentric rod and strap connection m with arm m of rocloshaft m Arms m of suchrockshaft are connected at m to such levers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a sealing-machine for cartons or paper boxes having foldable flaps, the combination with an endless-chain carrier, and the carton-flap engaging side walls provided with openings therein, of means adjacent to such openings for opening and closing such flaps, substantially as specified.

2. In a sealing-machine for cartons or paper boxes having foldable flaps, the combination with an endless carrier, and the cartonflap-engaging side walls provided with successive openings therein, of stationary means adjacent to a portion of such openings, and reciprocating means adjacent to the remainder of such openings, for opening and closing such flaps, substantially as specified.

3. In a sealing-machine for cartons or paper boxes having foldable flaps, the combination with the endless carrier, of the reciprocating frame, the ribbon-reel carried by said frame, and means also carried by said frame for applying and securing the ribbon to the approximated edges of said carton-flaps, substantially as specified.

4. In a sealing-machine for cartons or paper boxes having foldable flaps, the combina= tion with the endless carrier, of the reciprocating frame, the ribbon-reel carried by said frame, and the ribbon feeding, gluing, cutting, and pressing devices also carried by said frame, substantially as specified.

5. In a sealing-machine for cartons or paper boxes having foldable flaps, the combination with the endless box-carrier, and means for driving the same, of the lateral flap-sealing devices, the reciprocating ribbon applying, sealing, and clipping mechanism, and the drying-chambers, substantially as specified.

6. In a sealing-machine for cartons or pa* per boxes having foldable flaps, the combination with the endless box-carrier, the recipro= cating frame and the ribbon feeding and applying devices in connection therewith, of driving mechanism for such feeding and applying devices, and an automatic latch adapted to set such mechanism in action only when engaged by a box or carton upon the carrier,- substantially as specified.

7. In a machine for sealing cartons or paper boxes, the endless box-carrier, the reciprocatory frame, carrying means for sealing such boxes, and means operated by the pas sage of the box to set such first-named means in operation to seal the boxes, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS S. BURBANK.

Witnesses:

J. R. GILKESON, ALBERT H. CHAFFEE. 

